English. How many soldiers do we furnish him?”
She expected him to find fault with her, he had ample reason to condemn his wife. But she had not anticipated his antagonism toward a fellow lord. Defense of her neighbor came easily. “I send him no men-at-arms. Thanks to his leadership, we are at peace.”
Brother Julian put down his napkin. “It has not always been so, my lord.”
“There was bloody war everyday,” declared Alasdair. “Women cried and children went hungry. Foolish men got their heads stuck on pikes. Why did you not come and help them?”
Johanna’s stomach roiled. “Alasdair, please. Not at the table.”
“What think you of this Douglas?” Drummond asked Alasdair.
The boy waved a carrot to punctuate his words. “He’s a goodly man. He has a passel of daughters and a very fine dirk, with rubies in the handle and a dragon on the blade.”
Sliding a quick glance at Johanna, Drummond said, “You did not give the lad my dirk?”
He was referring to the weapons that Clare had carefully packed away and asked Johanna to keep. She had intended to give them to Alasdair one day. Now she would yield them to Drummond. “Of course not. He’s too young yet.”
Tapping his knife on the table, Drummond seemed to consider his next words. “Have you spoken to this Douglas about fostering Alasdair?”
“Nay. He will not be fostered out.”
“Precisely. I’ll teach him what he needs to know.”
She abhorred violence, had every intention of sparing her son the trials of battle and the hatred the Highland Scots felt for the English. “We’ll discuss it later, my lord.”
Alasdair interrupted with, “Give me a sword, Mother, for I want to rule the people.”
Johanna said, “And you will, but a great lord must do more than wield a sword.”
Drummond’s lips curled in an indulgent smile. He turned to Alasdair. “What must a great lord know?”
“He must know how to make alliances and settle disputes.”
All rapt attention, Drummond put down his knife. “How will you make alliances?”
“That’s easy.” Alasdair put his wrist to his forehead. With too much drama, he said, “I’ll flatter the ladies until they swoon at my feet. A well brought up man never tells a lady she stinks, even if she smells like the privy.” More seriously, he added, “A gentleman must have his principles.”
Humor brightened Drummond’s eyes. “A most admirable practice. How will you settle disputes?”
Alasdair blinked, as if confused. “Just the way Mother does.”
“Tell me.”
He squirmed on the bench and collected his thoughts. “I’ll be fair, and if the Anderson lads again scatter MacHale’s herd of sheep, I’ll command them to gather up the beasts. Then they must rethatch his roof.”
Drummond turned to Johanna. His earlier scrutiny of her paled. The absence of malice or prejudice gave his new examination a probing quality. Clare had sworn that he was a fine judge of character and a leader of men. Johanna hoped he had maintained those qualities, that he’d kept his high moral standards even through years of capture. But how could she know for sure?
His blue eyes shone with sincerity, and she could not turn away. Admiring him came easy, for few men were blessed with so many appealing features. His brows flared gently and his strong jaw framed a mouth softened by sensuality. She thought his lips were made for the shaping of tender words and suspected a horde of women had vied for his attention. Was it possible, she wondered, that a man so physically alluring could also be good to his core? And how, her woman’s heart queried, could she ever learn the answer when circumstances dictated that she avoid the very intimacy that would allow her the means to find out?
Drummond speared a leek with his knife and held it out to her. “Here. You’ve hardly eaten.”
His cajoling tone lured her. Forcing a smile, she took the offered food. “Thank you, my lord. The onions are particularly sweet
She expected him to find fault with her, he had ample reason to condemn his wife. But she had not anticipated his antagonism toward a fellow lord. Defense of her neighbor came easily. “I send him no men-at-arms. Thanks to his leadership, we are at peace.”
Brother Julian put down his napkin. “It has not always been so, my lord.”
“There was bloody war everyday,” declared Alasdair. “Women cried and children went hungry. Foolish men got their heads stuck on pikes. Why did you not come and help them?”
Johanna’s stomach roiled. “Alasdair, please. Not at the table.”
“What think you of this Douglas?” Drummond asked Alasdair.
The boy waved a carrot to punctuate his words. “He’s a goodly man. He has a passel of daughters and a very fine dirk, with rubies in the handle and a dragon on the blade.”
Sliding a quick glance at Johanna, Drummond said, “You did not give the lad my dirk?”
He was referring to the weapons that Clare had carefully packed away and asked Johanna to keep. She had intended to give them to Alasdair one day. Now she would yield them to Drummond. “Of course not. He’s too young yet.”
Tapping his knife on the table, Drummond seemed to consider his next words. “Have you spoken to this Douglas about fostering Alasdair?”
“Nay. He will not be fostered out.”
“Precisely. I’ll teach him what he needs to know.”
She abhorred violence, had every intention of sparing her son the trials of battle and the hatred the Highland Scots felt for the English. “We’ll discuss it later, my lord.”
Alasdair interrupted with, “Give me a sword, Mother, for I want to rule the people.”
Johanna said, “And you will, but a great lord must do more than wield a sword.”
Drummond’s lips curled in an indulgent smile. He turned to Alasdair. “What must a great lord know?”
“He must know how to make alliances and settle disputes.”
All rapt attention, Drummond put down his knife. “How will you make alliances?”
“That’s easy.” Alasdair put his wrist to his forehead. With too much drama, he said, “I’ll flatter the ladies until they swoon at my feet. A well brought up man never tells a lady she stinks, even if she smells like the privy.” More seriously, he added, “A gentleman must have his principles.”
Humor brightened Drummond’s eyes. “A most admirable practice. How will you settle disputes?”
Alasdair blinked, as if confused. “Just the way Mother does.”
“Tell me.”
He squirmed on the bench and collected his thoughts. “I’ll be fair, and if the Anderson lads again scatter MacHale’s herd of sheep, I’ll command them to gather up the beasts. Then they must rethatch his roof.”
Drummond turned to Johanna. His earlier scrutiny of her paled. The absence of malice or prejudice gave his new examination a probing quality. Clare had sworn that he was a fine judge of character and a leader of men. Johanna hoped he had maintained those qualities, that he’d kept his high moral standards even through years of capture. But how could she know for sure?
His blue eyes shone with sincerity, and she could not turn away. Admiring him came easy, for few men were blessed with so many appealing features. His brows flared gently and his strong jaw framed a mouth softened by sensuality. She thought his lips were made for the shaping of tender words and suspected a horde of women had vied for his attention. Was it possible, she wondered, that a man so physically alluring could also be good to his core? And how, her woman’s heart queried, could she ever learn the answer when circumstances dictated that she avoid the very intimacy that would allow her the means to find out?
Drummond speared a leek with his knife and held it out to her. “Here. You’ve hardly eaten.”
His cajoling tone lured her. Forcing a smile, she took the offered food. “Thank you, my lord. The onions are particularly sweet
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